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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29260431">Like A Burning Fire</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/UlisaBarbic/pseuds/UlisaBarbic'>UlisaBarbic</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale, 半妖の夜叉姫 | Hanyou no Yashahime | Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon (Anime)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Family Bonding, Gen, Mama Kagome, Moroha is the best girl, Moroha needs a hug, Mother-Daughter Relationship, Motherly love, Post-Canon, Post-InuYasha, Protection, Protectiveness, Spiritual</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 12:54:49</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,244</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29260431</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/UlisaBarbic/pseuds/UlisaBarbic</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>With Inuyasha off to discuss with Koga and Ayame what happened with Moroha, Kagome has some much desired private time with her daughter. But they can never really get a true off day, can they? But protectiveness is their family's lifeblood.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>59</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Inuyasha and Kagome Family</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Like A Burning Fire</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>“Mama! Did you find anymore of those roots?”</p><p>Kagome turned, smiled and embraced the rambunctious girl that bounded up to her side. She found herself doing that every chance she got. Trapped and away from her for so long, both she and Inuyasha were determined to make up for it every chance they got! Inuyasha was currently ‘discussing’ what had gone wrong with the Wolf tribe that left Moroha on her own. He’d be gone for a while.</p><p>Kagome didn’t want to believe that Koga and Ayame would have abandoned her. She didn’t want to believe it. They were still friends. And for all Koga’s rough edges, he was, overall, a good person. They would never have...</p><p>And as much as Koga and Inuyasha butted heads, if Inuyasha showed up demanding answers about their daughter, Koga would give them. She knew he would. </p><p>So, one way or another, they would get their answers. What they did from there and what their relationship with the Wolf tribe would be going forward would all be dependent on what they found out. Her heart ached at the possibilities but she had no control on others’ decisions just her own.</p><p>“Mama! Did you hear me?”</p><p>Mama...what a wonderful, beautiful word! One she had dreamed of hearing ever since Lady Kaede had told her that she was expecting. She used to lie awake, dreaming of it, hands on her belly and just waiting for the hush of movement. When it finally came, she’d sobbed. Inuyasha had woken up, thinking something was wrong but when she’d put his hands on her stomach and Moroha had stirred within her, the proud half-demon had crumbled.</p><p>So many years she’d missed. So many “Mamas!” So many dreams not supported, so many fears not chased away, so many injuries not tended. But no point worrying on it right now though! What was gone was gone. She had her daughter back now and she meant to make use of this time alone with her!</p><p>Kagome needed to gather some more healing herbs, including some a good ways off from the village by the sea and this wild girl loved to travel. Moroha had bounded with joy at the prospect, jumping up and down and declaring that a fishing village “would so fun—is it gonna smell like fish? Dunno if my nose can take that! Have you been to this one before, I know you and Papa traveled a lot...” and a million other questions, all with eyes full of excitement and exhilaration. </p><p>She was sunshine embodied and Kagome could watch her all day.</p><p>So, with a grin, she squeezed Moroha’s shoulder, saying, “Found quite a few of them. Just need to find a wee bit more of these mushrooms.” She held up the one in question to her daughter.</p><p>Moroha took the small fungi and sniffed it, inhaling deep. “I can track some, you watch!”</p><p> For Moroha, this felt like her moment, her chance to shine. Maybe she shouldn’t have felt the pressure to impress but she couldn’t help it. This was her mother, the priestess that destroyed the Shikon Jewel. Much like she felt she fell short in comparison to her father’s strength, her spiritual power seemed to pale in comparison to her mother’s.</p><p>But this! She could do this!</p><p>She fell to her hands and knees, crawling forward, inch by inch, nose pressed close to the ground. Smell was her strength and if finding herbs and mushrooms would help her mother then that’s what she would do.</p><p>Kagome covered her mouth, a small smile hidden behind it. Moroha acted so much like her father sometimes that it was uncanny. Watching her sort through the grass, turn, grin and take off running on all fours just made the priestess reminisce. How often had she followed her husband in this manner? Picturing the two of them running side by side, had fate taken a different approach, filled her with melancholy of what was lost. </p><p>Just as quickly though, she shook her head loose of blue thoughts. The past could not be undone but she could relish in the present. Running after her daughter, albeit much slower, Kagome called, “Slow down, Moroha, they won’t get up and run away.”</p><p>Although, given the kind of life they lived, maybe she shouldn’t have been so fast to assume that! But the day seemed to be full of good energy thus far!</p><p>And she was going to be left in the dust if she wasn’t careful. “Mama!” Came that beautiful and musical tone. “I’ve hit a trail! You’ll see! I’ll find so many for you!” There was such enthusiasm in that vocal tone. The small family was still getting to know one another and neither Kagome or Inuyasha were blind to their daughter’s desire to impress. It seemed pointless to try and convince her she didn’t need to do that so instead, they just let her. In due time, she’d come to the realization on her own.</p><p>Kagome chuckled to herself as she eyed her daughter’s trail.</p><p>Luckily, as she’d grown accustomed to trailing Inuyasha when he tore ahead like this, she followed the energetic girl with nary a problem. The woods were noticeably more sparse here and as Kagome walked along, she found they had emerged more into the open and were following the river as it fed into the sea. Much like her father though, Moroha’s nose did not fail her though she heard the girl sneeze a bit more with the salt water.</p><p>“See?! Told ya I’d find them!” Standing tall, knee deep in the muddy water by the water’s edge as it wove towards the sea, Moroha spread her arms wide, indicating the vast spread of fungi that had sprung up by the riverside. Planting her hands on her hips a moment, she poked her nose after a second. “Never fails me!”</p><p>Allowing a smile to grace her face, Kagome moved to gather the small little fungi into her sack as quickly as possible. “It sure didn’t. This is more than enough!” Kagome began to set the small fungi in her basket, moving the herbs to the side a bit. “I know many people that’ll be grateful to you for these, Moro-Chan!”</p><p>The teenaged girl grinned though there was still awkwardness about that nickname. She found she didn’t dislike it though. It was just an odd thing to get used to. Maybe because it made her sound young or little? But what was really wrong with that? Part of her protested, insisting on strength and dominance—what had kept her alive —but the other wanted to run for the comfort of the childhood she lost. And was it not true that she wasn’t alone now? Her parents were back. Was it okay to linger in that a bit? She was still divided.</p><p>She settled for just accepting the name without much response. Maybe later she could respond more like what her mother wanted. She knew the fact she always responded to ‘Crimson’ from her father with a grin had something to do with it. Maybe fake it but then she was just not good at lying. But could she ask her mother for something...tougher than ‘Chan?’ Could you do that with nicknames? She’d never really been gifted any. This was new territory!</p><p>Shifting her ankles in the water, Moroha watched her mother with something akin to bafflement. “What do the mushrooms do?” Topic switch worked wonders no matter what was going on to prevent awkwardness. She was genuinely curious too! She knew the taste of mushrooms and roasted they were pretty good but her mother seemed able to do magic things with any plant!</p><p>Smiling, the woman was glad for the inquiry and it showed on her face. She sat down next to the edge of the water, amid the twigs, mud and leaves, utilizing a half rotten log to stay out of the mud. After a moment, Moroha approached and squatted in the low water, eyes open in interest, head half tilted.</p><p>“The mushrooms we can use to make soups and wraps that treat stomach pain. If you combine them with some other herbs, they can treat pain.” Lifting some of the longer herbs from her basket, Kagome said, “If you break the bulb of this one, you get a disinfectant for cuts and scrapes.” </p><p>Curious, Moroha said “Like that liquid stuff Towa showed me in that future?” She whimpered. “It burned my nose!”</p><p>Alcohol. “Similar. It’s not quite as strong. But it will definitely do the same action.”</p><p>Folding her arms behind her head but still rocking in place in her crouch, Moroha said, “How do you know all this stuff?”</p><p>“Listening.” Kagome answered softly. “Listening and watching. Some I learned from Lady Kaede, some I discovered on my own. Some I learned from your father. Some Jineji taught me.” Turning with a smile, she asked, “Have you met Jineji?”</p><p>Shaking her head, Moroha stretched “Nope. Who’s he?”</p><p>“A dear friend. He’s a half-demon that gave us aid many times.” Kagome stood. “Maybe we can swing by and introduce you on the way back? I know Jineji would be thrilled.”</p><p>Another half-demon? Maybe the hybrid of human and demon was not as rare as she believed? How had she missed them? Maybe they were as good at hiding as she was? Would they understand? See things like she did? Did they have those bursts of power that seemed to come from nowhere? Did they get sick on certain moons—she’d seen what the moon did to Towa so she figured that explained the nights where she sometimes would grow weary and limp in the legs—had to do with that. Not all demons were the same and not all half demons were the same so the prospect of another that might understand, on some level, where she stood was intriguing, frightening and exciting all at once.</p><p>She decided to focus on the excitement part.</p><p>Grinning, Moroha stated “Well, if we’re gonna do that, we better bring some gifts!” Setting her sights on the water or to be more specific, on the fish in the water, she rubbed her hands together and flexed her fingers. “How about some nice roasted fish?”</p><p> </p><p>Picturing that farm and vegetables and fruits, Kagome felt herself growing hungry already. Adding a lovely fresh caught fish to the image just made it too much to resist. Plus, that look of enthusiasm on her daughter’s face was one she knew well. The first time Kagome was able to catch a fish and presented it to the group, she’d done with all the fervor of a five year old with a butterfly collection. She would remember that low smile from Inuyasha the rest of her life.</p><p>She could see the starts of it in Moroha’s face and that was all that had meaning right now. “That would be a great present. Nothing like presenting friends with food!”</p><p>Jumping a bit in the water, Moroha declared “Damn right! Everyone loves food!” Her eyes trailed her prey and she ventured a bit deeper, a bit towards to the sea but remaining in the curling river. About up to her waist, she dove under only to come up empty handed.</p><p>“Slippery bastard!” She cursed the escaping quarry.</p><p>Kagome giggled, though as light as she could. She had given up on correcting Moroha’s tongue though she didn’t want to encourage it. But it was hard to blame the girl. After all, her father used it all the time and with the kind of life she had lived, she had every right to spout off words full of vitriol so it seemed a bit of a lost cause. Hearing it though always made Kagome pause, regardless. She had to admit, she found herself saying such things when frustrated and she couldn’t lay ALL the blame on Inuyasha or life itself.</p><p>All the same, the priestess smiled a bit when Moroha turned to look at her with a sheepish look. “Sorry. Papa says you like it when we talk not-like-that.”</p><p>Touched by the acknowledgment, Kagome waved her hand dismissively. “Don’t worry about it, your father never broke the habit so I won’t hold it against you. Though, I appreciate the effort.”</p><p>Seemingly encouraged, Moroha went back to her fishing attempt. Inuyasha had been showing her and the girl was fairly good at it. Not as good as her father but there’d be time to perfect that. It hurt Kagome’s heart to think of the nights her daughter must have gone hungry because she had neither resources or funds to fill her belly.</p><p>Unfair, unright.</p><p> </p><p>She had no issue regarding Inuyasha’s...solution...to Moroha’s situation with Jyubei. If she ever saw the man herself, she had no doubt she’d likely put an arrow through his skull and lose absolutely no sleep over it.</p><p>“There’s one!” A flopping fish landed on the shoreline and Kagome lifted it by its tail. Hardly a large one but sufficient nonetheless. What was most important was that huge smile on Moroha’s face. “I’ll get us a few more then we can head off, Kay? I can get bigger ones than that, Mama, you’ll see!” The utter willingness to please that rang off her voice was almost tangible.</p><p>“I’m sure you can.” Scooping the fish into her basket, though separated with a thin layer of cloth from the plants, Kagome watched her daughter go under and up again, time and again. Sometimes she would come up with filth in her hair, mud under her claws but no prize but she was relentless.</p><p>As she went down for a fourth time, the water turned dark. There was an ominous feeling about the air. Kagome did not have the smell of her husband or daughter but she felt it in her skin. </p><p>Setting her basket down, she went for her bow—</p><p>Water exploded outward as bright lights shone above the surface of the water. A moment later, Moroha emerged, wrapped about the torso by a leathery scaled mass. Not quite tentacle but more the shape of a serpent. Long, scaled in green and blue with a large head beset with large fangs. A demon of the deep, not too dissimilar to ones that had plagued Kagome when she traveled with Inuyasha those years ago.</p><p>And her daughter was cussing up a storm at it. “Lemme go, you slimy shit!” Extending her claws, Moroha hadn’t enough time to summon her attack before the water broke again and water rushed her lungs. Coughing and losing what little air she had, her struggling made turning her into a meal much more difficult than the beast had anticipated and had them breaking the surface again, this time at the mouth of the river meeting the sea. Moroha dug her claws in deep, ripping what flesh she could and severing scales. It seemed to do little but irritate the thing though. It wasn’t so much power as sheer size.</p><p>This thing was big and she was small.</p><p>“Moroha!”</p><p> </p><p>Kagome kicked off her sandals and plowed forward, feet sinking into mud and sand even as she pulled her arrow to bow. Her heart pounded in her chest and all she could think about was that she’d just gotten her daughter back. Just gotten her family whole again and she was going to be damned if something took it from her!</p><p>To find her limp and cold and lifeless…</p><p>No! No, she refused. She would not! Could not!</p><p>“Moroha!” She called again and this time, the creature emerged a bit out to sea and Moroha had managed to squirm loose and was currently making the demon’s life very miserable. She could see the scrapings of blood as the girl ran both hand and foot over the flesh. Her clawed attacks, much like her father’s, were hardly easy to shake off.</p><p>But it would grab a hand or a foot. Moroha would wrestle it but it would go under again. It had done so already and that was what those demons did. She knew it would do it again. Right now, they were fortunate as the sea floor prevented it from doing its worst move—a death roll into the depths of the ocean. </p><p>The water turned dark—the telltale color of depth— just a little more ways out.</p><p>Once they crossed into that threshold, the advantage of being able to claw back upward for air would be lost. And as strong as her daughter was, she was at a disadvantage in the water. This beast was not.</p><p>Channeling a little bit of her husband, rage and maternal strength fueled her arrow. “Let her go, you bastard!”</p><p>The arrow flew, a dark purple in shade and as it skidded across the water’s surface to strike the creature’s coiling arm, the water parted. The waves erupted sideways, creating a clear path through the water, a low mist decorating the path even as the beast yelped in shock as the water sanctuary around it shattered away. Hard rock and sand met its scales as it fell to the ocean color.</p><p>It took massive amounts of spiritual will to hold the water at bay. Kagome had only done so for moments at a time before. It was a brief interlude and Kagome knew it but it mattered not. She would make it count! If it would save her Moroha, she’d hold it forever!</p><p>Onto the damp ground she went, her feet slamming into shells, limp fish and crabs as she drew and fired again, both keeping the sides of water at bay and forcing the coiled creature to drop its grip on her daughter entirely. </p><p> </p><p>Hitting the ground hard, Moroha was up in a moment, eyes huge as she observed the water forced to a wall around them. With what could only be described as a squeak, she demanded, “Oh, fucking awesome, Mama, we can do this?!” her arm was pulling out her own bow and let loose a barrage of arrows, a shower of pink and white.</p><p>What the…how was spiritual power ABLE to do this?! Split the ocean like nothing? It blew her mind! Could she really be the daughter of someone like this? Did…did SHE have that kind of power? Could she? Did she?</p><p>This was another chance. This was another time to show her mother that she was not just her father’s daughter. That she was capable of showing off that spiritual side too! Oh, maybe this demon was a blessing! She could prove herself. She could prove herself, she could, she could!</p><p>Okay, so she had started out pretty bad, all with the getting taken by surprise business, but she would fix it!</p><p>Moroha’s focus reset and she set her efforts on her spiritual attacks with a new enthusiasm. What had been reflex now she contorted into deliberate means. The arrows met their mark and the creature recoiled, withdrawing a bit but not before regaining some fervor and coming towards Moroha again.</p><p>“What the hell?!” She cursed. “Why isn’t it working?!” Okay, it WAS working but not like it should have! Why was she failing? Her arrows had always made an impact before! She’d stopped demons in their tracks with it!</p><p>Why was she failing?!</p><p>The girl dodged a bit at first; no longer being confined to the water helped and her mother’s arrows were causing gaping and smoking holes in the creature. Sure, she could cause damage herself—her barrage of arrows had left the thing half-blind but the amount of power in her mother’s arrows was making the thing stumble.</p><p>Moroha narrowed her eyes at the thing. She would show it! She would PROVE to it and –</p><p>As she ran for it, half considering withdrawing her rogue (let her mother see her FULL power on display!) the monster opened its mouth and a surge of water shot from its mouth. It was like running right into a mountain. Moroha gasped as she hit the ground, the air temporarily knocked out of her. Normally, this would be a minor annoyance but when the air was knocked from your lungs and then you were bombarded with water, drowning became a very real possibility.</p><p>She choked.</p><p>Kagome did not.</p><p>It was an odd feeling. She had felt anger before. She had felt fear. She had felt a surge of injustice at seeing people she cared about hurt. She had known the cold grip of uncertainty.</p><p>But this…seeing her daughter tossed to the ground and gasping to pull air back into her lungs created something new within her. Something that she had no name for, only that it was all encompassing.</p><p>Eyes narrowed, rage all but tangible about her, Kagome thrust her hand out, palm stretched open and with all the boundless energy that a mother possessed, she called that spiritual energy that she had cast against Naraku into one singular attack.</p><p>Purple and pink flooded her vision, making her body shake and her fingers tremble. She felt as if she was the faucet on the entire open ocean and now, she had cast aside the iron restraint. Her voice came out of her with such intense authority that she likely would have thought it belonged to another if she’d heard it.</p><p>“Release. Her.”</p><p>The creature cowered, withdrew, the billowing water ceasing into small droplets and mist. It went rigid, the light purple coloring that had taken the priestess’ entire figure suddenly seeping into every scale.</p><p>They began to sizzle and pop, as meat thrust into an open fire. Cries of pain erupted from the beast’s mouth but when it went to writhe and roll, it remained still, as if coated in rock, locked in place.</p><p>Moroha gave a low gasp, rolling onto her hands and knees, pulling air in to fill her abused lungs. It didn’t take long for her to recover but she wasn’t prepared for what she saw when she finally got to her feet.</p><p>Her mother was standing there, not five feet away from her but it felt like she was some kind of Goddess from ancient tales. Her long black hair was flowing in a non-existent wind, her eyes were narrowed into mere slits and there was an eerie purple light around her. Mist-like almost, wavering and shifting. Moroha could SMELL the power on her.</p><p>As Moroha stood there, shocked into silence, her mother drew an arrow and lifted her bow once again. The nocked arrow turned the same purple shade as the surrounding light before brightening into a stream of pink so intense that it hurt Moroha’s eyes. She refused to look away though.</p><p>The priestess—her mother—spoke again, her voice so full of silent rage that the ocean itself seemed to quiver and withdraw from her.</p><p>“You will not touch her again.”</p><p>With a swish and twang, the arrow left its string and met the mark of the creature’s forehead.</p><p>Cracks, small at first, then gradually larger and longer spread over the whole of the beast, light seeming to come from inside and outside and yet nowhere at all, the same brilliant pink of the arrow. With what could only be described as a shrill screech, the demon serpent erupted into flesh and blood, as if a fire was set alight from within it.</p><p>Moroha ducked her head as pieces of scale and fat rained down on her but as she uncovered her eyes, she spied the last remains of the beast, all the way down to the bones blew away to dust.</p><p>The light fleeing her as quickly as it had come, Kagome slumped to the ground and the ocean rushed back in.</p><p>“Mama!”</p><p>Moroha rushed to the woman’s side and pulled her up tight, clutching her tight to her shoulders and back. It was awkward and uncomfortable but she didn’t feel it. If anything, she just saw the wavering ocean.</p><p>“STAY!” She practically roared at it as she ran. “STAY!”</p><p>Her feet were in ankle deep surf before the walls crashed in.</p><p>OOO</p><p>Consciousness came slow but it did come. Blinking awake, her vision cleared on grass and the smoky billows of a fire. It took a moment before reality returned and Kagome sat up abruptly, “Moroha!”</p><p>Almost instantly, there was a hand on her shoulder, “I’m right here, Mama.” Eyes that mirrored her own came into view and Kagome let the aching fear cast out of her heart. With trembling hands, she took in her daughter, finding only a light bruise on the girl’s face.</p><p>“Mama, I’m okay.” There was more power to that statement now. “Mama, I’m okay. Are you—“</p><p>“I’m…alright now. If you’re alright, I am too.” She took in the girl’s clothing—still damp but drying and the sun had been set for hours. The moon was not yet completely overhead though. But she could see the faint dusting of spiritual power on the girl’s face. But not from her. “How—“</p><p>“Mama, that was so awesome!” Moroha stood, half dancing in place. “You exploded that demon from the inside out! And you HELD the ocean. I didn’t know you could do that!” She threw her arms out as she said ‘exploded’ and then placed her arms solid as oak, wide out, imitating the ocean walls. “Mama, that was fucking cool!”</p><p>Her enthusiasm got a smile from Kagome, despite her weariness. “Spiritual power has quite a few applications, Moro-chan.” She looked around, “Did you—“</p><p>“I ran us back to shore,” Moroha answered. “I thought I might get us back ‘fore the ocean came in completely but guess I’m not that fast.” There was a mild disappointment in her eyes. “But I almost made it.”</p><p>Reaching out with her hand, Kagome patted the ground beside her and Moroha took the hint, sliding to a seat beside her. “Moroha, you got me back to shore. That’s not a small feat. I’m sorry I left you in that position—“</p><p>“I shoulda been able to beat that thing.” Fists clinched, Moroha growled under her breath. “You gotta believe me, my arrows are usually a lot better than that. I’ve used them lots, on lot bigger demons!” Her face fell, eyes downcast. “But they failed me today. I failed you today, Mama.”</p><p>“No.” Reaching to her, Kagome tilted the girl’s head up. “You failed at nothing, my girl.”</p><p>“But I did! My arrows did nothing! Well, okay, they did something but it wasn’t enough. Stupid, stupid!”</p><p>Quiet a moment, Kagome said, “Tell me, Moroha. In a battle, when you use your arrows usually, how does your heart feel?”</p><p>Blinking at her like a wide eyed owl, the girl asked, “Eh?”</p><p>Chuckling softly at the resemblance, again, to her father, Kagome asked, taking the girl’s hand and pushing it so it rested on the girl’s beating heart, “How did your heart feel today? It wasn’t like your other battles, was it?”</p><p>How her heart felt? She’d not given it a lot of thought but now that it was brought up, it was pretty hard to ignore. “Different, I guess. I dunno.”</p><p>“You were thinking about proving yourself to me, weren’t you?”</p><p>Eyes wide again, Moroha accused, “Is that a weird spiritual power too?”</p><p>“No. Just a mother one.” Kagome reached over and stroked the girl’s hair away from her face. “My girl, you’ve been trying to do that ever since we came back. When your heart is divided like that, your arrows lose some of their spark.” Pausing and considering, she asked, “When you were carrying me back, did you even feel the weight? Did the ocean crash around you or behind you?”</p><p>Thinking openly, hand to her chin, Moroha tilted her head. “Behind. When I was in the white foamy surf.”</p><p>“My dear girl, I was the one holding the ocean apart. But as soon as I collapsed, that power stopped. Who do you think delayed the waves enough for you to run?”</p><p>Jerking back like she was struck, Moroha protested. “No! Damn it, it couldn’t be ME!”</p><p>“Well, who else was it?”</p><p>“But…my arrows didn’t work and—“</p><p>“And when you were worried about me is when your power came out.” Leaning over and tucking a loose hair back behind the girl’s ear, Kagome advised, “Spiritual power relies on heart and focus. Today, you had the heart but not the focus. Until all you could do WAS focus.”</p><p>Moroha stared at the woman. She had heard a lot of things from a lot of different people but never this. Never such absolute and solid assurance. Such faith. “You…think I tapped into power like THAT?”</p><p>“I know you did.” Kagome smiled, eyes full of warmth. “I know it. I can see it in you. It’s in everything you do. It flows through you like a river. And like me, sometimes it takes something specific to force it to flow so you can use it.” Tracing the girl’s chin, she said, “And when you have someone you have to protect, your power grows exponentially.”</p><p>“Papa said something like that too, about his sword.” Moroha stared at her hands a moment. She didn’t believe it, well, she didn’t think she COULD believe it but her mother was right. Who else could it have been? And when she had run, all she had thought was that she had to get to shore, had to save her mother. Had to keep her family from being divided again. Everything else had flowed away. “And I wanted…to protect you. And you…wanted to protect me.”</p><p>Kagome pulled the girl tight to her side, “Looks like we protected each other. Kinda like your father and I do.” She held her girl into a tight hug “And we always will.”</p><p>Moroha stiffened at first but then went limp and let the warmth of the woman wash over her. Protect. She had never given much thought to it. She tried to protect people, especially the precious few that had given more than a thought to her. But this…this concept of someone protecting her. It was an alien thought.</p><p>Yet her father had. With fierceness.</p><p>Yet her mother had. With unrelenting fury.</p><p>And the thought of losing either of them made her sick to her stomach. When she had hoisted her mother to her back and ran, all she had known was that nothing would rip them apart. Nothing, be it ocean or rock and yes…yes, it had been like when she fired her arrows but—more. Stronger. Intense. Unrelenting.</p><p> She settled a little, letting her mother run her hands through her hair. It caused a soft and warm sensation that ran through her body and made her sleepy. Not a bad sleepy though. No fear came with this sleepiness.</p><p>“You looked like you were on fire, Mama.” She said simply. Warm, powerful, passionate.</p><p>“Well,” Gently rubbing the girl’s temples, Kagome advised, “I suppose that suits our family, doesn’t it, Little Fire?”</p><p>Little Fire.</p><p>Fire—something that could be soothing and literally save your life. But it could also be chaotic and strong and destructive. Unpredictable and yet consistent. Frightening and yet comforting.</p><p>“I like that name,” she said, grinning upward, not bothering to move her head from where it had, somehow, drifted to settle on her mother’s chest. “Little Fire. And I’ll burn anyone that messes with my family!”</p><p>“You and me, both, Little Fire.”</p>
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